View source for Video games in the United Kingdom

{{Short description|Overview of video games in the United Kingdom}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2021}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2021}}

The [[United Kingdom]] has the largest [[video game industry|video game sector]] in Europe.<ref>{{Cite web |title=About the UK Video Games Industry - TIGA |url=https://tiga.org/about-tiga-and-our-industry/about-uk-video-games-industry |access-date=30 July 2022 |website=TIGA}}</ref> By revenue, the UK had the second-largest [[List of video games markets by country|video game market]] in Europe in 2022 after [[Video games in Germany|Germany]], and the sixth-largest globally.<ref>{{cite web |title=Top Countries & Markets by Game Revenues |url=https://newzoo.com/insights/rankings/top-10-countries-by-game-revenues/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211216031842/http://newzoo.com/insights/rankings/top-10-countries-by-game-revenues/ |archive-date=2021-12-16 |access-date=30 September 2023 |website=Newzoo}}</ref> By sales, it is Europe's largest market, having overtaken Germany in 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dring |first=Christopher |date=2023-01-12 |title=European console and PC game sales fall 7.1% in 2022 |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/european-console-and-pc-game-sales-fall-71-over-2021 |access-date=2023-09-30 |website=GamesIndustry.biz |language=en}}</ref> The UK video game market was worth {{£|7.16 billion|long=no}} ({{US$|{{To USD|7.16|GBR|year=2021}} billion|long=no}}) in 2021, a 2% increase over the previous year.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Powell |first=Steffan |date=31 March 2022 |title=The UK video games market is worth a record £7.16bn |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-60925567 |access-date=30 July 2022}}</ref>

While the North American and Japanese markets were thriving in the early 1980s with arcade and home console games, the UK's game industry grew out of amateur "bedroom coders" on home computers, in part due to the government's initiative, through the [[BBC]] to teach computer programming to students. Subsequently, many larger developers and publishers were established in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Many major [[video game franchises]] are developed in the UK, including ''[[Grand Theft Auto]]'', ''[[Tomb Raider series|Tomb Raider]]'', ''[[Burnout (series)|Burnout]]'', ''[[LittleBigPlanet (series)|LittleBigPlanet]]'', ''[[Wipeout (video game series)|Wipeout]]'' and ''[[Colin McRae: Dirt|Dirt]]'', making Britain the third-largest producer of video game series behind [[Video games in Japan|Japan]] and the [[Video games in the United States|United States]]. The best-selling video game series made in the UK is ''Grand Theft Auto'' (primary developed by [[Rockstar North]] in [[Edinburgh]]), which has sold over 150 million copies as of September 2013; the most recent instalment ''[[Grand Theft Auto V]]'' became the fastest-selling video game of all time by making $815.7 million (£511.8 million) in sales worldwide during the first 24 hours of the game's sale.<ref>{{cite web|title=Grand Theft Auto 5 breaks 6 sales world records|date=8 October 2013|url=http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2013/10/confirmed-grand-theft-auto-breaks-six-sales-world-records-51900/|publisher=[[Guinness World Records]]}}</ref> Another major British contribution to the game industry was the [[ZX Spectrum]] home computer, released in 1982.

The organisations responsible for rating video games in the UK are the [[British Board of Film Classification]] and [[Pan European Game Information|PEGI]], the latter of which was elected to rate British games in 2009 and subsequently began doing so in July 2012.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ukie.org.uk/content/pegi-ratings-become-uk%E2%80%99s-single-video-game-age-rating-system|title=PEGI ratings become UK's single video game age rating system|date=2012-07-30|publisher=[[The Association for UK Interactive Entertainment]]|access-date=2012-12-10|archive-date=28 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121028222558/http://ukie.org.uk/content/pegi-ratings-become-uk%E2%80%99s-single-video-game-age-rating-system|url-status=dead}}</ref>
The United Kingdom's video game industry is estimated to employ 20,000 people.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/creative-industries-2016-focus-on|title=Creative Industries Economic Estimates: Focus on...|date=2016-06-09|publisher=[[Department for Culture, Media and Sport]]|access-date=2016-09-09}}</ref>

==History==
===Early history (1950s–1960s)===
{{Main|Early history of video games#Initial games}}
[[File:Strachey_draughts_ferranti.jpg|thumb|right|[[Christopher Strachey]]'s Draughts is the first verifiable video game to run on a [[general-purpose computer]].]]
The United Kingdom had been a key participant in the 18th and 19th century [[history of computing]], in both its theoretical underpinnings (e.g. [[George Boole]]'s [[Boolean algebra]]) and especially its practical application, including the first computing device. Notable figures like [[Charles Babbage]] and [[Ada Lovelace]] created both a fundamental computer, the mechanical-based [[difference engine]], and a primitive programming language, respectively. As computers transitioned to electronic and digital elements in the mid-20th century, [[Alan Turing]] established the foundation of modern computer science and the concept of artificial intelligence. The UK's involvement in [[World War II]] also pushed forward [[Technology during World War II|advances in computing]], particularly in cryptography, such as the [[Colossus computer]], to help decipher enemy messages, all of which helped to create a widespread drive to improve computers and computing after the war, most prominently at several academic institutions, including the [[University of Manchester]] and [[Cambridge University]]. Wider use of computers for general-purpose applications became more common in the late 1960s and early 1970s.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.bcs.org/articles-opinion-and-research/a-brief-history-of-british-computers-the-first-25-years-1948-1973/ | title = A brief history of British computers: the first 25 years (1948–1973) | date = September 1, 2010 | accessdate = September 23, 2021 | publisher = BCS - The Chartered Institute for IT }}</ref> In the 1980s, British engineers spawned the now-ubiquitous, ''de facto'' reference implementation of the [[reduced instruction set computing]] paradigm, the [[ARM architecture family]], which would play a large role as the heart of later games consoles (e.g. the [[Nintendo Switch]]) and [[mobile game|mobile gaming]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://arstechnica.com/features/2020/12/how-an-obscure-british-pc-maker-invented-arm-and-changed-the-world/ | title=How an obscure British PC maker invented ARM and changed the world | date=20 December 2020 }}</ref>
 
[[Christopher Strachey]]'s Draughts, completed around 1951, is the first verifiable video game to run on a general-purpose computer, developed at the [[National Physical Laboratory (United Kingdom)|British National Physical Laboratory]].

=== Early arcade video games (1970s–1980s) ===
Up until the 1970s, British [[amusement arcades]] typically had mechanical [[arcade games]], [[electro-mechanical game]]s and [[pinball]] machines. [[Arcade video game]]s arrived with the 1973 release of ''[[Pong]]'' by [[Atari, Inc.]] ''Pong'' and other similar [[sports video game]] clones became popular in British arcades up until their popularity declined a year later in 1974, after which video games were dismissed as a fad. Atari's ''[[Breakout (video game)|Breakout]]'' (1976) later drew a significant following, but enthusiasm for the game had also waned shortly after. A major breakthrough for video games came with the 1978 release of [[Taito]]'s [[shoot 'em up]] game ''[[Space Invaders]]'', which began the [[golden age of arcade video games]]. In order to keep up with high demand for ''Space Invaders'', Taito licensed distribution rights to [[Midway Manufacturing]]. By 1979, ''Space Invaders'' had sold 85,000 [[arcade cabinet]]s in the United Kingdom, installed across locations such as arcades, [[pubs]] and [[public buildings]].<ref name="ACE">{{cite magazine |title=After ''Pong'' |magazine=[[ACE (magazine)|ACE]] |date=February 4, 1988 |issue=6 (March 1988) |pages=29–32 |url=https://archive.org/details/ACE_Issue_06_1988-03_Future_Publishing_GB/page/n28}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Meades |first=Alan |url=https://direct.mit.edu/books/oa-monograph/5459/Arcade-BritanniaA-Social-History-of-the-British |title=Arcade Britannia: A Social History of the British Amusement Arcade |date=2022-10-25 |publisher=[[The MIT Press]] |isbn=978-0-262-37234-3 |doi=10.7551/mitpress/12420.001.0001}}</ref>

''Space Invaders'' was the first video game to attract [[Video game controversy|political controversy]] when a 1981 [[Private Member's Bill]] known as the "Control of Space Invaders (and other Electronic Games) Bill", drafted by [[Labour Party (UK)|British Labour]] [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] (MP) [[George Foulkes, Baron Foulkes of Cumnock|George Foulkes]], attempted to allow [[City council|local councils]] to restrict the game and those like it by [[License|licensing]] for its "[[Video game addiction|addictive properties]]" and for causing "[[deviancy]]". [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] MP [[Michael Brown (British politician)|Michael Brown]] defended the game as "innocent and harmless pleasure", which he himself had enjoyed that day, and criticized the bill as an example of "[[Socialist]] beliefs in restriction and control". A motion to bring the bill before [[Parliament]] was defeated by 114 votes to 94 votes; the bill itself was never considered by Parliament.<ref>{{cite web |title=30 Great Gaming World Records |url=http://www.computerandvideogames.com/207943/features/30-great-gaming-world-records/ |work=[[Computer and Video Games]] |publisher=[[ComputerAndVideoGames.com]] |access-date=January 26, 2012 |date=February 14, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |title=Electronic and Computer Games: The History of an Interactive Medium |journal=[[Screen (journal)|Screen]] |year=1988 |volume=29 |issue=2 |pages=52–73 |doi=10.1093/screen/29.2.52 |quote=In the UK, the Labour MP George Foulkes led a campaign in 1981 to curb the 'menace' of video games, maintaining that they had addictive properties. His 'Control of Space Invaders (and other Electronic Games) Bill' was put to the Commons and only narrowly defeated.|last1=Haddon |first1=L. }}</ref><ref>{{cite hansard |house=House of Commons |url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1981/may/20/control-of-space-invaders-and-other#S6CV0005P0_19810520_HOC_167 |title=Control of Space Invaders and Other Electronic Games |date=May 20, 1981 | column_start = 287 | column_end = 291}}</ref>

''Space Invaders'' was followed by other hit arcade video games, including [[Namco]]'s shoot 'em up ''[[Galaxian]]'' (1979) and [[maze game]] ''[[Pac-Man]]'' (1980), the [[scrolling shooter]]s ''[[Scramble (video game)|Scramble]]'' by [[Konami]] and ''[[Defender (video game)|Defender]]'' by [[Williams Electronics]], [[Nintendo]]'s [[platform game]] ''[[Donkey Kong (arcade game)|Donkey Kong]]'' (1981), and Namco's [[racing game]] ''[[Pole Position]]'' (1982) distributed by Atari.<ref name="ACE"/> One of the earliest [[video game magazines]], ''[[Computer and Video Games]]'', began publication in the United Kingdom in 1981.

=== Early home video games (early 1980s) ===
Some of the [[first generation of video game consoles]] like dedicated ''[[Pong]]'' consoles were imported into the UK but did not gain much traction.<ref name="e&p uk history"/> Home video games were popularized in the United Kingdom during 1982–1984.<ref>{{cite news |title=Where every home game turns out to be a winter |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/18547690/the-guardian/ |access-date=3 October 2021 |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=6 March 1986 |pages=15}}</ref> There was a short-lived [[home console]] market in the United Kingdom during the early 1980s.<ref name="MMC"/> The success of ''Space Invaders'' in the arcades generated demand for the [[Atari VCS]], which had an official home version of ''Space Invaders'' released in 1980. The Atari VCS sold 125,000 units in the United Kingdom that year along with 500,000 [[game cartridges]], becoming the best-selling console in the UK up until then. Portable [[LCD games]] also gained popularity the same year, including ''Space Invaders'' clones such as [[Atari, Inc.|Atari]]'s ''Galaxy Invaders'' and [[Casio]]'s MG-880 [[calculator game]], as well as the [[Sharp PC-1211]] [[pocket computer]] sold by [[Tandy Computers|Tandy]] under the [[Radio Shack TRS-80]] brand.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Technology: The games that aliens play |magazine=[[New Scientist]] |date=18 December 1980 |volume=88 |issue=1232–1233 |page=782 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ainC3-wuz_kC&pg=PA782 |publisher=[[Reed Business Information]] |issn=0262-4079}}</ref>

The [[video game crash of 1983|home console market crash of 1983]], whose effects primarily impacted North America, was offset in the UK by the simultaneous transition to a market dominated by microcomputers and LCD games.<ref name="MMC"/> The switch towards microcomputers, and the more transient fad of LCD games, was already an apparent, emergent trend by the time of the crash, which, in the UK, merely accelerated an inevitable transition to microcomputers.<ref name="spectrum-growth">{{cite magazine | url=https://www.wired.com/2010/06/sinclair-zx80/ | title=Sinclair ZX80 and the Dawn of 'Surreal' U.K. Game Industry | magazine=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]] | last1=Baker | first1=Chris |date=8 June 2010 |access-date=18 May 2022}}</ref> The home computer market and concomitant domestic game production took off so rapidly during 1983 and thereafter that the UK market, in totality, not only withstood the crash but immediately began growing, albeit almost entirely in the new direction of microcomputers.<ref name="spectrum-growth" /> Pre-dating and then becoming concurrent with the console market's troubles, the arrival of affordable home computers in the early 1980s, with graphical capabilities matching or exceeding the [[Second generation of video game consoles|second-generation consoles]], such as the Atari VCS, dealt a severe blow to consoles in the UK. Home computers offered significantly cheaper software compared to the more expensive console [[game cartridges]].<ref name="SP20">{{Cite magazine|date=July 1991|title=The man with {{£|9 million|long=no}} to spend!|url=https://retrocdn.net/images/f/f1/SegaPower_UK_20.pdf#page=17|magazine=[[Sega Power]]|location=United Kingdom|publisher=[[Future Publishing]]|publication-date=6 June 1991|issue=20|pages=17–23|access-date=12 December 2021}}</ref> By 1984, computer games had overtaken both consoles and LCD games as the largest sector of the UK home video game market.<ref name="MMC"/>

=== Microcomputer popularity (1980s) ===
[[File:ZXSpectrum48k.jpg|thumb|right|The popularity of the [[ZX Spectrum]] was instrumental in driving the start of the UK home computer game industry.]]

Whereas the North American and Japanese home video game markets boomed with [[console games]], the UK market for home video games was grown out of [[home computers]] (also known as [[microcomputers]]), specifically the [[BBC Micro]] from [[Acorn Computers]] in 1981, and the [[ZX Spectrum]] from [[Sinclair Research]] (alongside Sinclair's earlier [[ZX80]] and [[ZX81]] systems) and the [[Commodore 64]] by [[Commodore International]] in 1982.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.theguardian.com/technology/gallery/2017/feb/24/10-most-influential-games-consoles-in-pictures | title = 10 most influential games consoles – in pictures | first=  Keith | last= Stewart | date = 24 February 2017 | access-date = 30 September 2019 | work = [[The Guardian]] }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-19055707 |title=Commodore 64 turns 30: What do today's kids make of it? |work=[[BBC News]] |access-date=2017-03-18}}</ref> In the early 1980s, the UK home [[computer game]] industry initially began with British programmers developing unofficial ports and clones of arcade games for [[home computers]], followed by original [[computer games]].<ref name="ACE"/> The saturation of home computers immunised the UK against the effects of the North American video game crash in 1983, after which the microcomputer game market continued to grow, with significant levels of domestic game production taking place. In 1984, computer games replaced console and LCD games as the largest sector of the UK home video game market.<ref name="MMC"/>

Computer literacy had been seen by the UK government as a key skill that Britain's children should possess to help improve the technology savvy of the nation in the future.<ref name="LEM"/> While home computers did exist in the UK market like the [[Commodore PET]] and [[Apple II]] (both released in 1977), these were comparatively expensive for broad use across the population.<ref name="wired uk history"/> The [[BBC]] worked with Acorn to create the low-cost BBC Micro home computer alongside a set of broadcast programming to help teach fundamentals of computers for school-aged children. This was used in up to 80% of the schools in the UK at the time, and led to creation of the Spectrum and Commodore 64 to help meet growing demand for the systems.<ref name="LEM">{{cite web |last=Hormby |first=Thomas |title=Acorn and the BBC Micro: From education to obscurity |work=Low End Mac |date=8 February 2007 |url=http://lowendmac.com/2007/acorn-and-the-bbc-micro-from-education-to-obscurity/ |access-date=1 March 2007 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070303004213/http://lowendmac.com/orchard/07/0228.html |archive-date=3 March 2007 |url-status= live}}</ref> Additionally, youth of the United Kingdom at that time were tinkerers, taking apart and repairing devices including electronics, and the nature of computer programming felt within this same scope.<ref name="independent origins">{{cite web | url = https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/features/geeks-who-rocked-the-world-documentary-looks-back-at-origins-of-the-computer-games-industry-9997037.html | title = Geeks Who Rocked The World: Documentary Looks Back At Origins Of The Computer-games Industry | first=  Rhordi | last = Mardsen | date = 25 January 2015 | access-date = 3 October 2019 | work = [[The Independent]] }}</ref>

The United Kingdom had already had a history with [[board game]]s prior to this revolution, as well as laying claim to starting the fantasy literary genre through [[J. R. R. Tolkien]]'s works, a major point of inspiration for the ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'' tabletop role-playing game.<ref name="bbc billion pounds">{{cite web | url = https://www.bbc.com/timelines/zt23gk7 | title = How British video games became a billion pound industry | date = December 2014 | access-date = 30 September 2019 | publisher = [[BBC]] }}</ref> Thus, with the ability to program their own games through these early home computers, the UK developed an initial home computer game market. Throughout most of the 1980s, British games were typically made by only one person with no formal experience in computer programming attempting to realise a singular vision (these developers were known as "bedroom coders"; some of them achieved a status akin to rockstars within the tech market, and even popular culture more broadly).<ref name="e&p uk history">{{cite journal | title = Industry evolution and cross-sectoral skill transfers: a comparative analysis of the video game industry in Japan, the United States, and the United Kingdom  | first1= Hiro | last1= Izushi | first2 = Yuko | last2=  Aoyama | date = 2006 | journal = Environment and Planning A | volume = 38 | issue= 10 | pages = 1843–1861 | doi = 10.1068/a37205 | bibcode= 2006EnPlA..38.1843I | s2cid= 143373406 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2004/jan/24/games.gameswatch | title = Death of the bedroom coder | date = 24 January 2004 | access-date = 30 September 2019 | work = [[The Guardian]] }}</ref> As there were few game stores in the UK at that time, most of these coders turned to [[mail order]], sending out copies of their games on [[Magnetic tape data storage|cassette tape]] for use in the computer's [[tape drive]]s. A market developed for companies to help such programmer sell and distribute their games.<ref name="wired uk history">{{cite magazine | url = https://www.wired.com/2010/06/sinclair-zx80/ | title=  Sinclair ZX80 and the Dawn of 'Surreal' U.K. Game Industry | first= Chris | last = Baker | date = 6 August 2010 | access-date =30 September 2019 | magazine = [[Wired (magazine)|Wired]] }}</ref> This industry took off after the release of the ZX Spectrum in 1982: by the end of 1983 there were more than 450 companies selling video games on cassette compared to 95 the year before.<ref name="wired uk history"/> An estimated 10,000 to 50,000 youth, mostly male, were making games out of their homes at this time based on advertisements for games in popular magazines.<ref name="independent origins"/> The growth of video games in the UK during this period was comparable to the [[punk subculture]], fueled by young people making money from their games.<ref name="independent origins"/>

One of the earliest such successful titles was ''[[Manic Miner]]'', developed and released by [[Matthew Smith (games programmer)|Matthew Smith]] in 1983, sold by [[Bug-Byte]], one of the first publishers in this market. While a loose [[video game clone|clone]] of the United States-developed ''[[Miner 2049er]]'', ''Manic Miner'' incorporated elements of [[British humour]] and other oddities.<ref name="wired uk history"/><ref name="eurogamer manic miner">{{cite web| url = https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-07-26-manic-miner-360-revisiting-a-classic | title = Manic Miner 360: Revisiting a Classic | first = Christian | last = Donlan | date = 26 July 2012 | access-date = 30 September 2019  |work = [[Eurogamer]] }}</ref> ''Manic Miner'' is considered the quintessential "British game" for this reason, and since then, inspired similar games with the same type of British wit and humour through the present.<ref name="bbc billion pounds"/><ref name="eurogamer manic miner"/><ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/07/07/antique_code_show_manic_miner_game/ | title=  Bug-Byte Manic Miner | first = Lucy | last = Orr | date=  7 July 2011 | access-date = 30 September 2019 | work = [[The Register]] }}</ref> Another key title from this period was ''[[Elite (video game)|Elite]]'', developed by [[David Braben]] and [[Ian Bell (programmer)|Ian Bell]] and released in 1984. A non-linear space exploration, trading and combat game, ''Elite'' established many of the principles of the [[open world]] gameplay concept that are used in most space simulation games today as well as influencing the ''[[Grand Theft Auto]]'' series, itself a pinnacle of open-world design.<ref name="braben_bbc">{{cite news | last = Braben | first = David | title = Towards games with the wow factor | work = BBC News | date = 31 December 2005 | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4553620.stm | access-date = 2009-12-27}}</ref><ref name="garypenn">{{cite web|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/134644/the_replay_interviews_gary_penn.php|title=Gamasutra - Gary Penn interview|date=31 January 2011}}</ref>

The popularity of video games on home computers within the UK drew sales away from other video game formats.<ref name="e&p uk history"/> Despite the lack of exposure to the North American crash of 1983, the UK industry of this period still had its notable failures. The success of [[Imagine Software]], formed by former members of Bug-Byte, drew the attention of the [[BBC]] as part of a documentary series ''Commercial Breaks'' that had been examining successful businesses in new industries. During 1983 and 1984, Imagine had tried to expand its capabilities beyond game programming as well as push the idea of "megagames" that stretched a computer's hardware limits and would be sold at a higher cost, but these efforts backfired, costing Imagine staff and money. By the time the BBC began filming for this episode of ''Commercial Breaks'', Imagine was in a downward spiral, which was notoriously documented by the BBC.<ref name=bbc_crash>{{cite news | first=Roger | last=Kean | title=The Biggest Commercial Break Of Them All | date=December 1984 | publisher=[[Newsfield Publications Ltd]] | url=http://www.crashonline.org.uk/12/imagine.htm | work=[[Crash (magazine)|Crash]] | access-date=17 December 2008 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190105132126/http://www.crashonline.org.uk/12/imagine.htm | archive-date=5 January 2019 | url-status=dead }}</ref> A short-term collapse of the computer market occurred from the end of 1984 into 1985. Rival companies Sinclair Research and Acorn Computers began entering a price war on competing systems ahead of end-of-year holidays sales, which created a consumer perception that these systems were nothing more than toys rather than productivity tools. In early 1985, financial institutions became wary of investments into computer companies due to other activities they had made as well. Acorn was acquired by [[Olivetti S.p.A.|Olivetti]] over 1985, while Sinclair Research was sold to [[Amstrad]] in 1986.<ref>{{cite book|last=Dale |first=Rodney |year=1985 |title=The Sinclair Story |location=London |publisher=Duckworth |isbn=0-7156-1901-2|pages=171–180}}</ref><ref name="corphist">{{cite web |url=http://www.nvg.org/sinclair/sinclair/corphist.htm |title=Sinclair: a Corporate History |work=Planet Sinclair |access-date=30 April 2008 }}</ref>

=== Arrival of 16-bit computers (1985–1995) ===
[[File:Amiga500_system.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Amiga 500]] ]]

The more advanced [[16-bit]] Commodore [[Amiga]] and [[Atari ST]] machines typically required a full team of developers to build games for; the bedroom coders of the previous years began to fade away as development companies formed to build games on these new systems.<ref name="gmt bedroom">{{cite video | url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n79SYpEVMgM | title = The Rise and Fall of Britain's Bedroom Coders | publisher = Game Maker's Toolkit | via = [[YouTube]] | date = October 1, 2020 | access-date = October 1, 2020 }}</ref> First released in 1985,<ref name="guardian amiga">{{cite web | url = https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/23/commodore-amiga-at-30-the-computer-that-made-the-uk-games-industry | title = Commodore Amiga at 30 – the computer that made the UK games industry | first = Keith | last = Stuart | date = 23 July 2015 | access-date  = 30 September 2019 | work = [[The Guardian]] }}</ref> the more expensive hardware and software stifled the uptake of both machines.<ref name='popularcomputingweekly20031987'>{{cite magazine |title=Thumbs up for Amigas following A500 launch|magazine=Popular Computing Weekly|issue=12|publisher=Sunshine Publications|date=20 March 1987|page=5}}</ref> The cheaper but less powerful Atari ST became the more popular of the two computers; in 1988 it accounted for nearly one in ten of all UK personal computer sales, more than double that of the Amiga.<ref name='newcomputerexpress29041989'>{{cite magazine |title=Computer Boom Gathers Pace|magazine=New Computer Express|issue=|publisher=Future Publishing|date=29 April 1989|page=4|url=https://archive.org/details/NH2021_New_Computer_Express_Issue025.pdf/page/n3/mode/2up|access-date=24 November 2021}}</ref> Although chart company Gallup reported in February 1989 that Amiga games had begun to outsell ST games for the first time, the combined sales for both platforms were still less than 10% of the total UK games market.<ref name='newcomputerexpress25031989'>{{cite magazine |title=Amiga Edges Ahead in 16-Bit War|magazine=New Computer Express|issue=|publisher=Future Publishing|date=25 March 1989|page=4|url=https://archive.org/details/NH2021_New_Computer_Express_Issue020.pdf/page/n3/mode/2up|access-date=24 November 2021}}</ref> The cheaper eight-bit machines like the ZX Spectrum were continuing to sell well, particularly with parents buying their first computer, with stocks of the Commodore 64 running out over Christmas 1988.<ref name='newcomputerexpress17071989'>{{cite magazine |title=Bundle Boost for Commodore 64|magazine=New Computer Express|issue=|publisher=Future Publishing|date=17 June 1989|page=4|url=https://archive.org/details/NH2021_New_Computer_Express_Issue032.pdf/page/n3/mode/2up|access-date=24 November 2021}}</ref>

For the following Christmas period, Commodore allowed [[Ocean Software]] to bundle ''[[Batman (1989 video game)|Batman]]'', their first game specifically designed for the sixteen-bit machines,<ref name=retrogamer41>{{cite magazine|title=The Making Of Batman The Movie|magazine=[[Retro Gamer]]|issue=41|pages=64–67|author=Robert Mellor}}</ref>  with their Amiga 500 computers to create the "Batman Pack".<ref name=oceanthehistory>{{Cite book|last1=Wilkins|first1=Chris|title=Ocean - The History|last2=Kean|first2=Roger M|publisher=Revival Retro Events|year=2013}}</ref>{{rp|58}} Launched in October 1989 with a TV advertising campaign, it became one of the most successful hardware/software bundles of all time<ref name=retrogamer41 /> selling over 186,000 units by the end of the following year.<ref name='filmstories'>{{cite web |title=How Batman (1989) helped shift Commodore Amiga computers|magazine=Film Stories|issue=|date=25 September 2020|page=|url=https://www.filmstories.co.uk/features/how-batman-1989-helped-shift-commodore-amiga-computers/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201021155109/https://www.filmstories.co.uk/features/how-batman-1989-helped-shift-commodore-amiga-computers/|access-date=24 November 2021|archive-date=21 October 2020}}</ref>

The Amiga's more powerful graphics capabilities enabled game developers to experiment more<ref name="guardian amiga"/> and helped to expand the [[demoscene]] in the UK, which in turn brought in more developers to stretch the capabilities of the computer.<ref name="reunanen2009">{{cite conference |last1=Reunanen |first1=Markku |first2=Antti |last2=Silvast |title=History of Nordic Computing 2 |chapter=Demoscene Platforms: A Case Study on the Adoption of Home Computers |series=IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology |conference=History of Nordic Computing |year=2009 |volume=303 |pages=289–301 |doi=10.1007/978-3-642-03757-3_30|isbn=978-3-642-03756-6 |doi-access=free }}</ref> A number of influential British companies emerged during this period:
* [[Psygnosis]] was formed in 1984 after the closure of [[Imagine Software]], and sought to bring the brightest programmers of the day to produce games that they would then publish, along with other in-house developed titles. Psygnosis' catalog has a number of highly praised titles such as ''[[Shadow of the Beast (1989 video game)|Shadow of the Beast]]'' and ''[[Obliterator]]''. The publisher was eventually acquired by [[Sony Computer Entertainment|Sony Interactive Entertainment]] to develop the ''[[Wipeout (1995 video game series)|Wipeout]]'' series among other titles, and while the studio was shuttered in 2012, most of its activities had been adsorbed into the Sony structure.<ref name="guardian amiga"/> 
* [[Sensible Software]], founded by [[Jon Hare]] and Chris Yates in 1986, was already a successful [[8-bit]] developer prior to success across Europe with Amiga hits like ''[[Sensible World of Soccer]]'', [[Cannon Fodder (video game)|''Cannon Fodder'']] and ''[[Mega-Lo-Mania]]''. ''Sensible World of Soccer'' was the only European-developed game entered into the [[game canon]], a list of 10 video games created by [[Stanford University]] for preservation by the [[Library of Congress]]. ''[[The New York Times]]'' called the creation of this list "an assertion that digital games have a cultural significance and a historical significance".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/12/arts/design/12vide.html?_r=3&ref=technology&oref=slogin&oref=slogin&oref=slogin|title=Is That Just Some Game? No, It's a Cultural Artifact|newspaper=The New York Times|date=12 March 2007|last1=Chaplin|first1=Heather}}</ref> [[Sensible Software]] was acquired by [[Codemasters]] in 1999.
* [[DMA Design]], among whose first titles was the best-selling ''[[Lemmings (video game)|Lemmings]]'' in 1991. DMA Design, after several more titles, would go on to produce ''[[Grand Theft Auto (video game)|Grand Theft Auto]]'' in 1997, and would lead them to ultimately be acquired by [[Take Two Interactive]] and rebranded as [[Rockstar Games]], with the original studio renamed as [[Rockstar North]].<ref name="guardian amiga"/>
* [[Bullfrog Productions]] was founded by [[Peter Molyneux]] and [[Les Edgar]], with one of their first titles being ''[[Populous (video game)|Populous]]'', the title that established the [[god game]] genre. Bullfrog developed several other influential titles, including the ''[[Dungeon Keeper (series)|Dungeon Keeper]]'' series, the ''[[Syndicate (series)|Syndicate]]'' series, and ''Theme''-related titles including ''[[Theme Park (video game)|Theme Park]]'' and ''[[Theme Hospital]]''. Though Bullfrog was ultimately acquired and shuttered by [[Electronic Arts]], the Bullfrog team went on to establish other influential UK studios, including Molyneux's [[Lionhead Studios]], [[Media Molecule]], [[Hello Games]], and [[Two Point Studios]].<ref name="guardian amiga"/>
* [[Team17]] was initially born out of the demoscene, but produced a number of successful Amiga games, finding success in the ''[[Worms (series)|Worms]]'' series in 1995. Today, Team17 also now serves as a video game publishers for many independent studios.<ref name="guardian amiga"/>

During this period, video game consoles from the [[fourth generation of video game consoles|fourth generation]], including the [[Sega Mega Drive]] and [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]], began to gain interest in the UK.<ref name="e&p uk history"/> Such interest led to more corporate structure around video game development to support the costs and hardware needed to develop games on these platforms, and caused a decline of the popularity of the bedroom coder by 1995.<ref name="e&p uk history"/><ref name="independent origins"/> However, the bedroom coders had seeded the necessary elements as to gain interest from United States companies looking for talent around this time, leading to various acquisitions and partnerships between US and UK game companies around this time.<ref name="e&p uk history"/>

=== Console systems (1987–present) ===
During the late 1980s to early 1990s, there was a gradual transition in the UK home video game market from home computers to [[video game consoles]], with the arrival of 8-bit [[third generation of video game consoles|third-generation]] consoles and then 16-bit [[fourth generation of video game consoles|fourth-generation]] consoles. By 1991, [[home consoles]] had overtaken home computers as the larger sector of the UK home video game market.<ref name="MMC"/> The growth of consoles in the UK was largely driven by [[Sega consoles]], the [[Master System]] (1987 release) and [[Mega Drive]] (1990 release); they exceeded the graphical capabilities of 8-bit and 16-bit home computers, respectively, while being more affordable.<ref name="SP20"/> ''[[Computer and Video Games]]'' magazine credited the success of Sega's ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog]]'' in particular as "one of the main reasons for the popularity of" console video games in the United Kingdom.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=16-Bit Systems |magazine=[[Computer and Video Games]] |date=11 December 1996 |issue=182 (January 1997) |page=18 |url=https://archive.org/details/Computer_and_Video_Games_Issue_182_1997-01_EMAP_Images_GB/page/n17}}</ref> Other popular console systems followed in the UK, including the [[Nintendo consoles]], [[Game Boy]] (1990 release) and [[Super NES]] (1992 release), and then 32-bit [[fourth generation of video game consoles|fourth-generation]] consoles including [[Sony]]'s [[PlayStation (console)|PlayStation]] (1995 release) and the [[Nintendo 64]] (1997 release).<ref name="guardian amiga"/>

By 1992, [[Sega]] and [[Nintendo]] were earning more than {{£|700,000,000|long=no}} or {{US$|{{#expr:{{To USD|0.7|GBR|year=1992}}*1000000000}}|long=no|1992|round=-8}} from annual video games sales in the United Kingdom,<ref>{{cite news |title=The debate over video games |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1309&dat=19930508&id=y85OAAAAIBAJ&sjid=xRMEAAAAIBAJ&pg=1164,1994865 |access-date=23 September 2021 |work=[[New Straits Times]] |date=8 May 1993}}</ref> while British video game magazines had a circulation of {{nowrap|1 million}} copies per month.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Warr |first1=Simon Morgan |title=Game war heroes: Sega v Nintendo |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/game-war-heroes-sega-v-nintendo-1542072.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220817/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/game-war-heroes-sega-v-nintendo-1542072.html |archive-date=17 August 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |access-date=24 September 2021 |work=[[The Independent]] |date=22 August 1992}}</ref> In 1992, the UK games market was led by the Mega Drive, followed by the Amiga and Super NES, and then [[IBM-compatible PC]].<ref>{{cite journal |title=Games role of PC grows in UK market |journal=[[Screen Digest]] |date=1993 |page=248 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=M1nvAAAAMAAJ |publisher=Screen Digest Limited |quote=IBM-compatible personal computers are now fourth most important games format in UK market after Sega Mega Drive, Amiga and Super NES according to surveys by Gallup}}</ref> During the early 1990s, Sega and Nintendo dominated the UK video game market, which led to both companies coming under investigation by the [[Monopolies and Mergers Commission]] (MMC) for alleged [[monopolistic]] business practices.<ref name="MMC"/>

With the increasing power and popularity of consoles, more UK developers targeted console platforms in the 1990s.<ref name="bbc billion pounds"/> As noted above, some of those that were instrumental in Britain's contribution to consoles included Psygnosis (developing ''Wipeout'' for the PlayStation) and DMA Design (''Grand Theft Auto'' for the PlayStation). Others included [[Rare (company)|Rare]], which brought many titles to [[Nintendo consoles]], [[Argonaut Games|Argonaut Software]] which helped to bring 3D graphics to the Super NES via ''[[Star Fox]]'', and [[Core Design]] which brought the ''[[Tomb Raider]]'' series to the PlayStation console. Other software houses, like [[Ocean Software]], [[Codemasters]], and [[U.S. Gold]] expanded into console games as well.<ref name="gmt bedroom"/>

=== Video game sales and revenue (1980–1995) ===
{{Image frame
|caption=Annual UK home video game revenue (1980–1993)<ref name="MMC"/>
|content=
 {{Graph:Chart|width=275|height=150|xAxisTitle=Year|yAxisTitle=Millions GBP
 |legend=Legend
 |type=stackedrect
 |units prefix=$
 |xAxisAngle = -45
 |x=1980,1981,1982,1983,1984,1985,1986,1987,1988,1989,1990,1991,1992,1993
 |y3=33,46,46,36,25,16,13,10,24,47,87,298,578,547
 |y3Title=Game consoles
 |y2=0,0,0,0,100,105,105,110,112,115,138,125,132,148
 |y2Title=Computer games
 |y1=12,20,34,45,40,35,6,8,21,17,20,22,20,19
 |y1Title=LCD games
 |colors=#7FF0A4,#47E2D9,#80C9F2
 }}
|width=500
|align=right
}}

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
|+ Annual UK home video game revenue (1980–1993)<ref name="MMC">{{Cite book|title=Video Games: A Report on the Supply of Video Games in the UK|publisher=[[Monopolies and Mergers Commission]] (MMC), [[H.M. Stationery Office]]|date=April 1995|isbn=978-0-10-127812-6|location=United Kingdom|pages=[https://i.imgur.com/CLYiKIp.jpg 66] to [https://i.imgur.com/vR9vtPX.jpg 68]|chapter=Market size and market shares}}</ref>
! Year
! [[Game consoles]]
! [[Computer games]]
! [[LCD games]]
! Annual ({{£|long=no|link=yes}})
! Annual ({{US$|link=yes}})
! Inflation (US$)
|-
|[[1980 in video games|1980]]
|£33,000,000
|{{N/A}}
|£12,000,000
|£{{#expr:33+12}},000,000
|${{To USD|45|GBR|year=1980|round=yes}},000,000
|${{Inflation|US|105000000|1980|r=-6|fmt=c}}
|-
|[[1981 in video games|1981]]
|£46,000,000
|{{N/A}}
|£20,000,000
|£{{#expr:46+20}},000,000
|${{To USD|66|GBR|year=1981|round=yes}},000,000
|${{Inflation|US|133000000|1981|r=-6|fmt=c}}
|-
|[[1982 in video games|1982]]
|£46,000,000
|{{N/A}}
|£34,000,000
|£{{#expr:46+34}},000,000
|${{To USD|80|GBR|year=1982|round=yes}},000,000
|${{Inflation|US|140000000|1982|r=-6|fmt=c}}
|-
|[[1983 in video games|1983]]
|£36,000,000
|{{N/A}}
|£45,000,000
|£{{#expr:36+45}},000,000
|${{To USD|81|GBR|year=1983|round=yes}},000,000
|${{Inflation|US|123000000|1983|r=-6|fmt=c}}
|-
|[[1984 in video games|1984]]
|£25,000,000
|£100,000,000
|£40,000,000
|£{{#expr:25+100+40}},000,000
|${{To USD|165|GBR|year=1984|round=yes}},000,000
|${{Inflation|US|219000000|1984|r=-6|fmt=c}}
|-
|[[1985 in video games|1985]]
|£16,000,000
|£105,000,000
|£35,000,000
|£{{#expr:16+105+35}},000,000
|${{To USD|156|GBR|year=1985|round=yes}},000,000
|${{Inflation|US|200000000|1985|r=-6|fmt=c}}
|-
|[[1986 in video games|1986]]
|£13,000,000
|£105,000,000
|£6,000,000
|£{{#expr:13+105+6}},000,000
|${{To USD|124|GBR|year=1986|round=yes}},000,000
|${{Inflation|US|182000000|1986|r=-6|fmt=c}}
|-
|[[1987 in video games|1987]]
|£10,000,000
|£110,000,000
|£8,000,000
|£{{#expr:10+110+8}},000,000
|${{To USD|128|GBR|year=1987|round=yes}},000,000
|${{Inflation|US|209000000|1987|r=-6|fmt=c}}
|-
|[[1988 in video games|1988]]
|£24,000,000
|£112,000,000
|£21,000,000
|£{{#expr:24+112+21}},000,000
|${{To USD|157|GBR|year=1988|round=yes}},000,000
|${{Inflation|US|279000000|1988|r=-6|fmt=c}}
|-
|[[1989 in video games|1989]]
|£47,000,000
|£115,000,000
|£17,000,000
|£{{#expr:47+115+17}},000,000
|${{To USD|179|GBR|year=1989|round=yes}},000,000
|${{Inflation|US|293000000|1989|r=-6|fmt=c}}
|-
|[[1990 in video games|1990]]
|£87,000,000
|£138,000,000
|£20,000,000
|£{{#expr:87+138+20}},000,000
|${{To USD|245|GBR|year=1990|round=yes}},000,000
|${{Inflation|US|435000000|1990|r=-6|fmt=c}}
|-
|[[1991 in video games|1991]]
|£298,000,000
|£125,000,000
|£22,000,000
|£{{#expr:298+125+22}},000,000
|${{To USD|445|GBR|year=1991|round=yes}},000,000
|${{Inflation|US|785000000|1991|r=-6|fmt=c}}
|-
|[[1992 in video games|1992]]
|£578,000,000
|£132,000,000
|£20,000,000
|£{{#expr:578+132+20}},000,000
|{{US$|{{To USD|730|GBR|year=1992|round=yes}},000,000|long=no}}
|${{Inflation|US|1281000000|1992|r=-6|fmt=c}}
|-
|[[1993 in video games|1993]]
|£547,000,000
|£148,000,000
|£19,000,000
|£{{#expr:547+148+19}},000,000
|{{US$|{{To USD|714|GBR|year=1993|round=yes}},000,000|long=no}}
|${{Inflation|US|1071000000|1993|r=-6|fmt=c}}
|}

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
|+ Annual UK highest-grossing [[arcade video game]]s (1984–1992)
! Year
! Top arcade video game
! Manufacturer
! Genre
! [[Arcade cabinet|Cabinet sales]]
! Coin drop earnings
! class="unsortable" | {{Abbr|Ref|Reference(s)}}
|-
|[[1984 in video games|1984]]
|''[[Track & Field (video game)|Track & Field]]''
|[[Konami]]
|[[Sports video game|Sports]]
|{{Unknown}}
|{{Unknown}}
| rowspan="2" |<ref>{{cite magazine |date=January 1986 |title=Commando: Soldier of Fortune |url=https://archive.org/details/your-sinclair-01/page/n53 |magazine=[[Your Sinclair]] |issue=1 |page=54}}</ref>
|-
|[[1985 in video games|1985]]
|''[[Commando (video game)|Commando]]''
|[[Capcom]]
|[[Run and gun video game|Run and gun]]
|{{Unknown}}
|{{Unknown}}
|-
|[[1986 in video games|1986]]
|[[Gradius (video game)|''Nemesis'' (''Gradius'')]]
|Konami
|[[Scrolling shooter]]
|{{Unknown}}
|{{Unknown}}
|<ref>{{cite magazine |date=18 January 1987 |title=1986 Top Ten Coin-Ops |url=https://archive.org/details/sinclair-user-magazine-059/page/n94/mode/1up |magazine=[[Sinclair User]] |issue=59 (February 1987) |page=96}}</ref>
|-
|[[1987 in video games|1987]]
|''[[Out Run]]''
|[[Sega]]
|[[Driving game|Driving]]
|{{Unknown}}
|{{Unknown}}
|<ref name="Wired">{{cite magazine |last1=Prisco |first1=Jacopo |date=18 September 2021 |title=How Out Run changed video games forever |magazine=[[Wired UK]] |url=https://www.wired.co.uk/article/out-run-video-game-design |access-date=4 November 2021}}</ref><ref name="CVG75">{{cite magazine |date=15 December 1987 |title=Burn Rubber |url=https://archive.org/details/cvg-magazine-075/page/n49/mode/2up |magazine=[[Computer and Video Games]] |issue=75 (January 1988) |pages=50–1}}</ref>
|-
|[[1988 in video games|1988]]
|''[[Operation Wolf]]''
|[[Taito]]
|[[Light gun shooter]]
|{{Unknown}}
|{{Unknown}}
|<ref name="retrogamer153">{{cite magazine |last=Carroll |first=Martyn |date=April 2016 |title=Operation Wolf |url=https://issuu.com/michelfranca/docs/retro_gamer____153 |magazine=[[Retro Gamer]] |issue=153 |pages=34–41}}</ref><ref name="CVG">{{cite magazine |date=November 1988 |title=Reviews: Operation Wolf |url=https://archive.org/details/cvg-magazine-086/page/n19/mode/2up |magazine=[[Computer and Video Games]] |issue=86 (December 1988) |pages=20–5}}</ref>
|-
| [[1991 in video games|1991]]
| rowspan="2" | ''[[Street Fighter II: The World Warrior]]''
| rowspan="2" | Capcom
| rowspan="2" | [[Fighting game|Fighting]]
| 10,000
| £130,000,000+ (${{To USD|130|GBR|year=1991|round=yes}},000,000+)
| rowspan="2" | <ref name="Mega">{{cite magazine |date=17 June 1993 |title=The making of Street Fighter 2 - a video game legend |url=https://retrocdn.net/images/0/07/Mega_UK_10.pdf#page=18 |magazine=[[Mega (magazine)|Mega]] |issue=10 (July 1993) |pages=14-35 (18-21)}}</ref>
|-
| [[1992 in video games|1992]]
| {{Unknown}}
| £260,000,000 (${{To USD|260|GBR|year=1991|round=yes}},000,000)
|}

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
|+ Annual UK best-selling home video games (1984–1995)
! Year
! Top home video game
! Developer
! Publisher
! Platform(s)
! Genre
! Sales
! class="unsortable" | {{Abbr|Ref|Reference(s)}}
|-
|[[1984 in video games|1984]]
|''[[Jet Set Willy]]''
|[[Software Projects]]
|[[Software Projects]]
|[[ZX Spectrum]]
|[[Platformer]]
|{{Unknown}}
|<ref>{{cite book |url=https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/page.php?issue_id=1783&page=88 |title=The Year's Top 10 Games |work=Computer and Video Games 1985 Yearbook |publisher=EMAP |page=88}}</ref>
|-
|[[1985 in video games|1985]]
|''[[The Way of the Exploding Fist]]''
|[[Beam Software]]
|[[Krome Studios Melbourne|Melbourne House]]
|[[Home computers]]
|[[Fighting game|Fighting]]
|{{Unknown}}
|<ref>{{cite magazine |date=20 March 1986 |title=News Desk: Exploding Fist tops Gallup 1985 charts |url=https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1986-03-20/page/n3 |magazine=[[Popular Computing Weekly]] |page=4}}</ref>
|-
|[[1986 in video games|1986]]
|''[[Yie Ar Kung-Fu]]''
|[[Konami]]
|[[Imagine Software]]
|Home computers
|Fighting
|{{Unknown}}
|<ref>{{cite magazine |date=12 February 1987 |title=Yie Ar tops charts for 1986 |url=https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1987-02-12/page/n5 |magazine=[[Popular Computing Weekly]] |page=6}}</ref>
|-
|[[1987 in video games|1987]]
|''[[Out Run]]''
|[[Sega]]
|[[U.S. Gold]]
|ZX Spectrum
|[[Driving game|Driving]]
|350,000
|<ref name="cvg_80">{{cite journal |date=June 1988 |title=OutRun |url=https://archive.org/details/cvg-magazine-080/page/n29 |journal=Computer and Video Games |publisher=EMAP |issue=80 |pages=30–1 |issn=0261-3697}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |date=10 March 1988 |title=Game of the Year |url=https://archive.org/details/your-sinclair-28/page/n63/mode/2up |magazine=[[Your Sinclair]] |issue=28 (April 1988) |pages=64–5}}</ref>
|-
|[[1989 in video games|1989]]
|''[[RoboCop (1988 video game)|RoboCop]]''
|[[Data East]]
|[[Ocean Software]]
|ZX Spectrum
|[[Action game|Action]]
|{{Unknown}}
|<ref name="CVG98">{{Cite magazine |date=16 December 1989 |title=The Best Games of '89 |url=https://archive.org/stream/cvg-magazine-098/CVG_098_Jan_1990#page/n7/mode/2up |magazine=[[Computer and Video Games]] |issue=98 (January 1990) |page=9}}</ref>
|-
|[[1992 in video games|1992]]
|''[[Sonic the Hedgehog 2]]''
|Sega
|[[Sega]]
|[[Sega Mega Drive]]
|Platformer
|1,000,000+
|<ref name="Mega22">{{cite magazine |date=17 June 1993 |title=Can Mega Drive ''Street Fighter 2'' Live Up To All The Hype? |url=https://retrocdn.net/images/0/07/Mega_UK_10.pdf#page=22 |magazine=[[Mega (magazine)|Mega]] |issue=10 (July 1993) |page=22}}</ref><ref name="Mega26">{{cite magazine |date=20 January 1994 |title=Sonic: A brief history |url=https://archive.org/details/mega-tech-26/page/24 |magazine=[[MegaTech]] |location=United Kingdom |publisher=[[Maverick Magazines]] |issue=26 (February 1994) |page=24}}</ref>
|-
|[[1993 in video games|1993]]
|[[Mortal Kombat (1992 video game)|''Mortal Kombat'']]
|[[Midway Games|Midway]]
|[[Acclaim Entertainment]]
|[[Game consoles]]
|Fighting
|400,000+
|<ref name=":3">{{cite journal |date=1994 |title=Top-Selling Video Game Titles In UK — 1993 (All Formats) |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WVnvAAAAMAAJ |journal=[[Screen Digest]] |publisher=Screen Digest Limited |page=110 |quote='''nb''' sales level at number 5 = 400,000 units, at number 9 = 250,000 units, at number 10 = 200,000 units <br /> Source: [[Gallup (company)|Gallup]]-[[ELSPA]]/Electronic Arts/[[MCV/Develop|CTW]]}}</ref>
|-
|[[1995 in video games|1995]]
|''[[FIFA Soccer 96]]''
|Extended Play Productions
|[[EA Sports]]
|[[Multi-platform]]
|[[Sports video game|Sports]]
|{{Unknown}}
|<ref>{{cite book |title=Unlimited learning: Computer and video games in the learning landscape |date=2006 |website=[[International Federation for Information Processing]] (IFIP) |publisher=[[European Leisure Software Publishers Association]] (ELSPA) |page=51 |chapter=Appendix B: Top 10 software |access-date=16 October 2021 |chapter-url=https://www.org.id.tue.nl/IFIP-TC14/documents/ELSPA-report-2006.pdf#page=53}}</ref>
|}

=== Indie gaming (2010–present) ===
While large British studios continued to develop high-profile games for consoles and computers, a new hobbyist interest arose around 2010 in [[independent game development]]. The indie game model of development started to become popular in the late 2000s, with games like ''[[World of Goo]]'', ''[[Super Meat Boy]]'', and ''[[Fez (video game)|Fez]]'' showing the success of the small indie team model and the means to distribute these via digital channels rather than retail. This in turn rekindled the hobbyist programmer mindset in the United Kingdom, starting a new wave of individual and small team British developers.<ref name=Britsoft>{{cite web | url = https://www.theguardian.com/technology/gamesblog/2010/jan/26/casual-gaming-indiegames | title=  Back to the bedroom: how indie gaming is reviving the Britsoft spirit | first =Keith | last= Stuart | date = 27 January 2010 | access-date = 3 October 2019 | work = [[The Guardian]] }}</ref> In 2009, the profits of Britain's [[video game industry]] exceeded those from its [[film industry]] for the first time.<ref>Rosenberg, Dave. (2009-12-31) [http://news.cnet.com/8301-13846_3-10423150-62.html Video games outsell movies in U.K. | Software, Interrupted - CNET News]. News.cnet.com. Retrieved on 2011-05-07.</ref>

== Industry ==
The UK video game market was worth {{£|5.7 billion|long=no}} ({{US$|{{To USD|5.7|GBR|year=2018}} billion|long=no}}) in 2018, a 10% increase over the previous year.<ref name="ukie.org.uk">{{Cite web|url=https://ukie.org.uk/news/uk-consumer-spend-on-games-grows-10-to-a-record-5-7bn-in-2018|title=UK consumer spend on games grows 10% to a record £5.7bn in 2018|website=ukie.org.uk}}</ref> From this, £4.01 billion was from the sales of software (+10.3% increase over 2017), £1.57 billion from the sales of hardware (+10.7% increase), and £0.11 billion from the sales of other game related items.<ref>{{cite web |title=UK gaming market worth record £5.7bn |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-47783558 |website=BBC |access-date=2019-04-02 |date=2019-04-02}}</ref> In the software market, the data showed a significant increase in digital and online revenues, up +20.3% to a record £2.01bn.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Luke |first1=Hebblethwaite |title=UK consumer spend on games grows 10% to a record £5.7bn in 2018 |url=http://ukie.org.uk/news/2019/04/uk-consumer-spend-games-grows-10-record-%C2%A357bn-2018 |website=UK Interactive Entertainment Association |access-date=2019-04-02 |date=2019-04-02}}</ref> £1.17 billion of software sales came from mobile games. In 2017, the number of players was estimated at 32.4 million people.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2019/04/19/top-10-best-selling-video-games-of-all-time|title = Top 10 Best-Selling Video Games of All Time - IGN|date = 19 April 2019}}</ref>

The Video Games Tax Relief (VGTR) was established in 2014 to help support creativity in the UK games industry. According to TIGA,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.tiga.org/repository/documents/editorfiles/reports/june_2014___guide_to_video_games_tax_relief.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=6 May 2016 |archive-date=22 January 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160122233340/http://www.tiga.org/repository/documents/editorfiles/reports/june_2014___guide_to_video_games_tax_relief.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> prior to this, the UK Games industry was lagging behind other countries where game developers benefitted from substantial tax breaks and government grants: "Between 2008 and 2011, employment in the [games industry] fell by over 10 per cent and investment fell by £48 million". Thus the UK VGTR aims to ensure the UK games industry's competitiveness on the global stage, promotes investment and job creation and encourage the production of culturally British video games. The key benefit of the tax relief is that qualifying companies can claim up to 20% of their "core expenditure" back, provided that expenditure has been made in the European Economic Area.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://pollen.vc/|title=Pollen VC &#124; Funding for Mobile App and Game Developers|website=pollen.vc}}</ref> In 2015 the UK Government provided £4m to launch a games prototype fund, the [[UK Games Fund]] and a graduate enterprise programme called Tranzfuser.<ref>{{Cite web |title=£4m fund to kick-start the next 'Tomb Raider' |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/4m-fund-to-kick-start-the-next-tomb-raider |access-date=2023-03-09 |website=GOV.UK |language=en}}</ref> The UK Games Fund and Tranzfuser programmes are run by UK Games Talent and Finance Community Interest Company (UKGTF)<ref>{{Cite web |title=UK Games Fund |url=https://ukgamesfund.com/ |access-date=2023-03-09 |website=UK Games Fund |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Home |url=https://tranzfuser.com/ |access-date=2023-03-09 |website=Tranzfuser |language=en-GB}}</ref> Further funding of £1.5m for the UK Games Fund and Tranzfuser was announced by the UK Government in 2018.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Creative industries: Sector Deal |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/creative-industries-sector-deal |access-date=2023-03-09 |website=GOV.UK |language=en}}</ref> Further funding of £8m for the UK Games Fund and Tranzfuser was awarded by the UK Government in 2022<ref>{{Cite web |title=£50 million of Government investment announced for creative businesses across the UK |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/50-million-of-government-investment-announced-for-creative-businesses-across-the-uk |access-date=2023-03-09 |website=GOV.UK |language=en}}</ref>

In recent years, Northern Ireland has made increasing contributions to the United Kingdom's video game industry.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10154989 |work=BBC News |title=The changing face of NI's video gaming industry |date=2010-05-25 |access-date=2012-03-04}}</ref>

=== Best-selling video game franchises (1995–2021) ===
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
|+Best-selling video game franchises in the UK (1995–2021)<ref>{{Cite web |date=29 March 2022 |title=The video games of our lives: GfK publishes UK's top 30 best-selling computer games since 1995, with all games grossing £26.3bn in 27 years |url=https://www.gfk.com/en-gb/press/The-video-games-of-our-lives-UK |access-date=2022-05-19 |website=[[GfK]] |location=[[London]] |language=en-gb}}</ref>
! Rank
! [[Video game franchise]]
! UK debut year
! Franchise owner(s)
|-
|1
|[[FIFA (video game series)|''FIFA'']]
|[[1993 in video games|1993]]
|[[Electronic Arts]]
|-
|2
|''[[Call of Duty]]''
|[[2003 in video games|2003]]
|[[Activision Blizzard]]
|-
|3
|[[Mario (franchise)|''Mario'']]
|[[1981 in video games|1981]]
|[[Nintendo]]
|-
|4
|''[[Grand Theft Auto]]''
|[[1997 in video games|1997]]
|[[Take-Two Interactive]]
|-
|5
|[[List of Lego video games|''Lego'']]
|1997
|[[The Lego Group]]
|-
|6
|[[Star Wars video games|''Star Wars'']]
|[[1983 in video games|1983]]
|[[Lucasfilm Games]]
|-
|7
|''[[The Sims]]''
|[[2000 in video games|2000]]
|Electronic Arts
|-
|8
|[[Pokémon (video game series)|''Pokémon'']]
|[[1999 in video games|1999]]
|Nintendo / [[The Pokémon Company]]
|-
|9
|''[[Assassin's Creed]]''
|[[2007 in video games|2007]]
|[[Ubisoft]]
|-
|10
|''[[Need for Speed]]''
|[[1994 in video games|1994]]
|Electronic Arts
|}

==Media==
In 2000, [[Channel 4]] produced a documentary, ''Thumb Candy'', on the history of video games.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAo4CZTGFQQ Thumb Candy]. Thumb Candy - The history of computer games 2000. ''YouTube''. Published by QLvsJAGUAR. Published on 12 February 2011. Retrieved 5 December 2017.</ref> It includes footage from old Nintendo commercials.<ref>[http://uk.ign.com/articles/2002/06/24/gaming-life-uk-19 Gaming Life UK]. IGN. Published 24 June 2002. Retrieved 6 December 2017.</ref>

==Video game conventions==
* [[EGX (expo)]]
* [[UK Games Expo]]

==Game ratings and government oversight==
Prior to 2012, video games in the UK would be rated through the [[Video Standards Council]] (VSC), which had been established in 1989 under the government's [[Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport]] (DCMS). The VSC worked initially with the UK video game trade group known as the Entertainment Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA) at the time but later renamed to the [[UK Interactive Entertainment Association]] (Ukie). The VSC and ELPSA developed a set of ratings in 1993, and used a combination of voluntary suggestions from publishers and their own reviews to establish a game's rating.<ref name="gamasutra ratings">{{cite web | url = https://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/130896/rated_and_willing_where_game_.php | title = Rated and Willing: Where Game Rating Boards Differ | date = 15 December 2005 | access-date = 6 January 2020 | work = [[Gamasutra]] }}</ref> With the introduction of the [[Pan European Game Information]] (PEGI) system in 2003, the VSC standardized its ratings on PEGI's classification system.  The VSC system was voluntary at this point, though most UK retailers would respect the ratings marked on boxes to avoid selling mature games to children.<ref name="gamasutra ratings"/> The only facet of the UK ratings system for video games set in law were for titles deemed to have excessive violent or pornographic content; such titles were required to be reviewed by the [[British Board of Film Classification]] (BBFC), a non-government body designed in law to review film and television content, if such a designation was determined by the VSC. Legal penalties existed for publishers and retailers that attempted to sell such games without the BBFC's review. The BBFC had the authority to outright ban sale of a video game if deemed so, though such bans could be challenged.<ref name="gamasutra ratings"/> Up to 2012, only two such games had been temporarily banned by the BBFC due to rating: ''[[Manhunt 2]]'' and ''[[Carmageddon]]'', both which were later cleared after changes had been made by their publishers.<ref name="bbc ratings 2012"/>

The [[Byron Review]], released in March 2008 under a 2007 order from [[Prime Minister]] [[Gordon Brown]] to the [[Department for Children, Schools and Families]], made numerous suggestions for how the government could take steps to protect children in the digital environment like the Internet.<ref name="bbc ratings 2012">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-19042908|title=BBC News: UK enforces PEGI video game ratings system|date=30 July 2012 | access-date = 6 January 2020 | work = [[BBC]] }}</ref> Among the suggestions were related to video game ratings, which the report found that parents often mistook as difficulty ratings, and instead urged that the BBFC become involved. By May 2008, the BBFC had proposed a new voluntary ratings system for digital video games, paralleling their existing rating systems for film and television.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.theguardian.com/media/2008/may/21/digitalmedia | title = BBFC ratings go online | date = 21 May 2008 | access-date = 6 January 2020 | work = [[The Guardian]] }}</ref> The VSC and other groups felt the BBFC's system for video games was too forgiving and was based on a system designed around linean content rather that non-linear content such as video games,<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.techradar.com/news/gaming/interview-elspa-boss-explains-pegi-age-ratings-610158 | title = Interview: ELSPA boss explains PEGI age ratings | first=  Adam | last = Hartley | date = 23 June 2009 | access-date = 5 March 2018 | work = [[TechRadar]] }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7496327.stm | title = Divide on games industry ratings | first = Darren | last = Waters | date  = 8 July 2009 | access-date = 5 March 2018 | work = [[BBC]] }}</ref> and urged the government to adopt a system based on an enhanced PEGI categorization system they were working on.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7692966.stm | title = Games ratings row gets colourful | date = 28 October 2008 | access-date = 6 January 2020  |work = [[BBC]] }}</ref> Reports had found that the PEGI system tended to rate games more conservatively - issuing the game a stricter age rating - compared to what the BBFC would issue for the same title; the VSC stated that 50% of the games they had rated "18+" on the PEGI since 2003 had received a more lenient rating from the BBFC.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.gamespot.com/articles/spot-on-british-game-ratings-changes-broken-down/1100-6212182/ | title = Spot On: British game-ratings changes broken down | first=  Alex | last =Sassoon Coby | date = 18 June 2009 | access-date = 6 January 2020 | work = [[GameSpot]] }}</ref>

The DCMS issued a following report in June 2009 to address several points of the Byron Review, among which included the intent to standardized video game ratings on the PEGI system.<ref name="bbc ratings 2012"/> The Video Recordings (Labelling) Regulations act was passed in May 2012 and came into force on 30 July 2012.<ref>{{cite web | url =  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-18017385| title = Video Standards Council to take over games age ratings | date = 10 May 2012 | access-date = 6 January 2020 | work = [[BBC]] }}</ref> With it, it eliminated the BBFC's oversight of video games with limited exceptions on excessively pornographic titles, as well as for games with limited interactivity (such as interactive DVD games) and for any direct video content on the game disc.<ref name="gi 2012">{{cite web | url = https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2012-06-26-pegi-is-stricter-than-the-bbfc-were-not-ashamed-of-that-vsc | title =  VSC: "PEGI is stricter than the BBFC. We're not ashamed of that" | first = Johnny | last= Minkley | date = 26 June 2012 | access-date = 6 January 2020 | work = [[GamesIndustry.biz]] }}</ref> Instead, all published video games in retail marketplaces were required to be rated under the PEGI system by the special Games Ratings Authority (GRA) within the VSC. Retailers were bound to prevent sales of mature games (PEGI ratings of 12, 16, or 18) to younger children under this law, with both fines and prison time should they be found guilty of such sales.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.mcvuk.com/business/pegi-games-ratings-come-into-force-today|title=MCV: PEGI ratings come into force today | date = 30 July 2012 | access-date = 6 January 2020 | magazine = [[MCV/Develop]] }}</ref><ref name="bbc ratings 2012"/> The VSC also became the only body that could ban sale of a game in the UK.<ref name="gi 2012"/> Ukie continues to work alongside the VSC to help UK developers and publishers prepare for the VSC process and prepare educational and advocacy material to make the UK public aware of the ratings system.<ref name="gi 2012"/>

The VSC ratings only apply to retail titles; digitally distributed titles are not regulated under UK law, through the VSC urges developers, publishers, and storefronts as a best-practice to use the low-cost self-ratings services of the [[International Age Rating Coalition]] to assign their game an appropriate PEGI rating for the digital service.<ref>{{cite news | url = https://www.telegraph.co.uk/gaming/news/digital-minister-calls-video-game-providers-use-age-ratings/ | title=  Digital Minister calls on all video game providers to use age ratings online - and parents agree | first = Andy | last = Robertson | date = 14 March 2019 | access-date = 6 January 2020 | work = [[The Daily Telegraph]] }}</ref>

==Legacy==
The [[Royal Mail]] issued a limited postal stamp series in 2020 featuring games that represent the United Kingdom's early video game industry. The series featured ''[[Elite (video game)|Elite]]'' (1984), the ''[[Dizzy (series)|Dizzy]]'' series (1987–1992), ''[[Wipeout (video game)|WipeOut]]'' (1995), the ''[[Worms (1995 video game)|Worms]]'' series (1995–present), ''[[Lemmings (video game)|Lemmings]]'' (1991), ''[[Micro Machines (video game)|Micro Machines]]'' (1991), ''[[Populous (video game)|Populous]]'' (1989), and the ''[[Tomb Raider]]'' series (1996–present).<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2020-01-07-royal-mail-is-putting-dizzy-lemmings-and-elite-on-stamps | title = Royal Mail is putting Dizzy, Lemmings, and Elite on stamps | first = Tom | last = Phillips | date = 7 January 2020 | access-date = 7 January 2020 | work = [[Eurogamer]] }}</ref>

The interactive film ''[[Black Mirror: Bandersnatch]]'' is loosely based on the early period of the United Kingdom's video game industry, and makes allusion to [[Imagine Software]], a major publisher in the early 1980s which gained notoriety when it fell into bankruptcy in the midst of being filmed as part of a documentary for the BBC. [[Jeff Minter]], one of the earlier game developers in the UK's industry, has a cameo role within the movie.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.radiotimes.com/news/on-demand/2019-09-06/black-mirror-bandersnatch-whats-it-about-whos-in-the-cast-and-can-i-watch-it-on-netflix/|title=Black Mirror: Bandersnatch – What's it about, who's in the cast and can I watch it on Netflix?|work=[[Radio Times]]|last=Chapman|first=Tom|date=6 September 2019|access-date=20 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200604194544/https://www.radiotimes.com/news/on-demand/2019-09-06/black-mirror-bandersnatch-whats-it-about-whos-in-the-cast-and-can-i-watch-it-on-netflix/|archive-date=4 June 2020|url-status=live}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of game companies in the United Kingdom]]
* [[Video game journalism]]
* ''[[The Gamechangers]]''

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite journal |last1=Tsang |first1=Denise |title=Innovation in the British Video Game Industry since 1978 |journal=[[Business History Review]] |date=17 November 2021 |volume=95 |issue=3 |pages=543–567 |doi=10.1017/S0007680521000398 |s2cid=244134761 |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/business-history-review/article/innovation-in-the-british-video-game-industry-since-1978/856696B240D2B81ACA7AE7607FE7F20A |language=en |issn=0007-6805}}

==External links==
{{Commonscat|Video gaming in the United Kingdom}}
* [https://ukie.org.uk/ UK Interactive Entertainment]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20100812171608/http://www.chart-track.co.uk/index.jsp?c=p%2Fsoftware%2Fuk%2Flatest%2Findex_test.jsp&ct=110015 UK video game charts]

{{Video games by country|state=expanded}}
{{History of video games}}
{{Europe topic |Video games in}}

[[Category:Video gaming in the United Kingdom| ]]